More Images

Elegant tea planned for dolls and owners

Virginia Rose, right, her granddaughter, Isabella Chancery, 8, Rose's sister, Suzzanne Phillips, second from left, and Freda Frisbee, left, look over their favorite dolls at Rose's home on Northeast Third Court in Ocala, Fla. on Monday, April 8, 2013.

Bruce Ackerman / Ocala Star-Banner

By Marian RizzoCorrespondent

Published: Tuesday, April 9, 2013 at 3:01 p.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, April 9, 2013 at 3:01 p.m.

Virginia Rose and her sister, Suzzanne Phillips, are two good examples of how serious adult women can be about their dolls. The home they share in northeast Ocala sports a collection of dolls from all over the world and from many different eras in history. Some are antique collectibles, others elicit childhood memories, still others are handmade treasures.

Facts

If you go

What: Dolly & Me Tea

Who: Kingdom of the Sun Doll Club of Ocala

When: 2 p.m. Saturday, April 27

Where: Rolling Greens, North Clubhouse, 1415 W. Gleneagles Road

Cost: Adults, $15; children 6-14, $10

Contact: For tickets and directions, 867-7835

Extra: Bring your own doll

Facts

To learn more

The Kingdom of the Sun Doll Club of Ocala meets at 12:30 p.m. every third Saturday from September to May. Dues of $50 a year include a subscription to the quarterly magazine of the United Federation of Doll Clubs. To join, call 867-7835.

Rose, president of the Kingdom of the Sun Doll Club of Ocala, is hoping to introduce others to doll collecting when the club holds its second annual Dolly & Me Tea on April 27. The event will feature club members and dolls fashionably dressed for an elegant tea served on delicate china in elaborate place settings. The event will include door prizes and light refreshments. Members of the public are welcome to attend and bring along their own dolls. Tickets range from $10 to $15.

Rose said she first got interested in doll collecting in 1994.

“I called my mother and told her I was going to take lessons to make dolls, because I couldn’t afford the old ones,” she said. “My mother said, ‘I want to go with you.’ ”

Though Phillips wasn’t interested at first, having done crafts in ceramics in the past, she agreed to join her sister.

“It was a fun thing for the three of us to do together,” Rose said. “About that same time, we joined the doll club.”

Since then, Rose and Phillips, and their mother, the late Virginia Phillips, have won several awards for their hand-made reproductions of famous creations. For Suzzanne, the hobby also extended to a huge Barbie doll collection, some dating back to the 1960s.

Rose feels their interest in doll collecting is typical of the people who join the club. Currently, 16 members meet on the third Saturday of each month from September to May. At occasional workshops they learn how to make such items as stuffed animals, doll clothes and handkerchief dolls.

“Doll collecting is something that goes through a cycle, just like anything else,” Rose said. “It’s largely dependent on disposable income, of which there’s not a lot anymore. It’s one of those things that’s not a necessity. Like any type of collecting, the interest has to be there. The income has to be there.”

These days, American Girl dolls run around $110, and the little Ginny dolls made by Vogue can cost about $45, Rose said. The new pose-able dolls run about $1,000. Then, there are the wardrobes, storage boxes, display cases and props such as highchairs, beds and complete doll houses.

“I like dolls with wardrobes,” Rose said. “I want to be able to change clothes and dress them for the holiday or the season. It’s a very personal thing.”

So far, the Ocala group has three junior collectors. One is Rose’s granddaughter, Isabella Chancery, who is 8, the minimum age for membership. Isabella collects Polly Pockets and has a couple of Ginny dolls, Rose said.

Club members sometimes make stuffed animals and sock monkey dolls for organizations that work with children, such as the Alpha Center, and local law enforcement agencies. In the last couple years, the club has had three displays at the Ocala/Marion County Public Library.

Members Harriet Brinker and Penny Homer are preparing to give a talk about dolls at a local assisted living facility and plan to bring dolls reminiscent of what the residents would have had in their childhood, Rose said.

The club is affiliated with the United Federation of Doll Clubs, which is headquartered in Kansas City, Mo. The parent organization hosts a convention every year, with this year’s planned for July 29 to Aug. 1 in Washington, D.C.

<p>Virginia Rose and her sister, Suzzanne Phillips, are two good examples of how serious adult women can be about their dolls. The home they share in northeast Ocala sports a collection of dolls from all over the world and from many different eras in history. Some are antique collectibles, others elicit childhood memories, still others are handmade treasures.</p><div class="art_item art_item_inset art_item_facts">
<h3>Facts</h3>
<h4>To learn more</h4>
<p>The Kingdom of the Sun Doll Club of Ocala meets at 12:30 p.m. every third Saturday from September to May. Dues of $50 a year include a subscription to the quarterly magazine of the United Federation of Doll Clubs. To join, call 867-7835.</p>
</div>
<p>Rose, president of the Kingdom of the Sun Doll Club of Ocala, is hoping to introduce others to doll collecting when the club holds its second annual Dolly & Me Tea on April 27. The event will feature club members and dolls fashionably dressed for an elegant tea served on delicate china in elaborate place settings. The event will include door prizes and light refreshments. Members of the public are welcome to attend and bring along their own dolls. Tickets range from $10 to $15.</p><p>Rose said she first got interested in doll collecting in 1994.</p><p>“I called my mother and told her I was going to take lessons to make dolls, because I couldn't afford the old ones,” she said. “My mother said, 'I want to go with you.' ”</p><p>Though Phillips wasn't interested at first, having done crafts in ceramics in the past, she agreed to join her sister.</p><p>“It was a fun thing for the three of us to do together,” Rose said. “About that same time, we joined the doll club.”</p><p>Since then, Rose and Phillips, and their mother, the late Virginia Phillips, have won several awards for their hand-made reproductions of famous creations. For Suzzanne, the hobby also extended to a huge Barbie doll collection, some dating back to the 1960s.</p><p>Rose feels their interest in doll collecting is typical of the people who join the club. Currently, 16 members meet on the third Saturday of each month from September to May. At occasional workshops they learn how to make such items as stuffed animals, doll clothes and handkerchief dolls.</p><p>“Doll collecting is something that goes through a cycle, just like anything else,” Rose said. “It's largely dependent on disposable income, of which there's not a lot anymore. It's one of those things that's not a necessity. Like any type of collecting, the interest has to be there. The income has to be there.”</p><p>These days, American Girl dolls run around $110, and the little Ginny dolls made by Vogue can cost about $45, Rose said. The new pose-able dolls run about $1,000. Then, there are the wardrobes, storage boxes, display cases and props such as highchairs, beds and complete doll houses.</p><p>“I like dolls with wardrobes,” Rose said. “I want to be able to change clothes and dress them for the holiday or the season. It's a very personal thing.”</p><p>So far, the Ocala group has three junior collectors. One is Rose's granddaughter, Isabella Chancery, who is 8, the minimum age for membership. Isabella collects Polly Pockets and has a couple of Ginny dolls, Rose said.</p><p>Club members sometimes make stuffed animals and sock monkey dolls for organizations that work with children, such as the Alpha Center, and local law enforcement agencies. In the last couple years, the club has had three displays at the Ocala/Marion County Public Library.</p><p>Members Harriet Brinker and Penny Homer are preparing to give a talk about dolls at a local assisted living facility and plan to bring dolls reminiscent of what the residents would have had in their childhood, Rose said.</p><p>The club is affiliated with the United Federation of Doll Clubs, which is headquartered in Kansas City, Mo. The parent organization hosts a convention every year, with this year's planned for July 29 to Aug. 1 in Washington, D.C.</p>